NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Simultaneous determination of pesticides from soils: a comparison between QuEChERS extraction and Dutch mini-Luke extraction methods
No full textThe expanding nature of the agricultural sector has fuelled the intensification of plant protection products usage, including pesticides. These pesticides may persist in soils, necessitating their accurate determination in a variety of soil types. However, due to their complex nature, the effective extraction of pesticide residues from soil matrices can present challenges to pesticide detection and quantification. This research compared two well-known extraction methods, QuEChERS and Dutch mini-Luke, by assessing their specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, precision and reproducibility in extracting seven distinct pesticides with a range of chemico-physical characteristics from Irish soils. The HPLC-UV conditions were optimised to separate the seven pesticides, and it was shown that both extraction methods successfully extracted neonicotinoids with recovery values ranging between 85 and 115%. Fluroxypyr and prothioconazole could not be efficiently extracted using QuEChERS, however, the recovery values of both the analytes ranged between 59 and 117% using Dutch mini-Luke. Furthermore, with the exception of prothioconazole using Dutch mini-Luke, both extraction methods resulted in reproducibility and precision values below or equal to 20%. Lastly, Dutch mini-Luke is noted to have a lower matrix effect than QuEChERS, except for prothioconazole. The comparison results showed that Dutch mini-Luke resulted in superior method sensitivity, better recovery, and lower matrix effect towards most investigated analytes and was the only extraction technique that successfully extracted all pesticides analysed in soil matrice
The Synthesis and Evaluation of Multivalent Glycopeptoids as Inhibitors of the Adhesion of Candida albicans
No full text: Multivalency is a strategy commonly used by medicinal carbohydrate chemists to increase the affinity of carbohydrate-based small molecules for their protein targets. Although this approach has been very successful in enhancing binding to isolated carbohydrate-binding proteins, anticipating the multivalent presentations that will improve biological activity in cellular assays remains
challenging. In this work we investigate linear molecular scaffolds for the synthesis of a low valency
presentation of a divalent galactoside 1, previously identified by us as an inhibitor of the adhesion of
opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans to buccal epithelial cells (BECs). Adhesion inhibition
assays revealed that multivalent glycoconjugate 3 is more effective at blocking C. albicans adherence
to BECs upon initial exposure to epithelial cells. Interestingly, 3 did not seem to have any effect when
it was pre-incubated with yeast cells, in contrast to the original lead compound 1, which caused a 25% reduction of adhesion. In competition assays, where yeast cells and BECs were co-incubated, multivalent glycoconjugate 3 inhibited up to 49% C. albicans adherence in a dose-dependent manner. The combined effect of compound 1 towards both yeast cells and BECs allowed it to achieve over 60% inhibition of the adhesion of C. albicans to BECs in competition assay
Galleria mellonella: The Versatile Host for Drug Discovery, In Vivo Toxicity Testing and Characterising Host-Pathogen Interactions
No full textLarvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, are a convenient in vivo model for assessing the activity and toxicity of antimicrobial agents and for studying the immune response to pathogens and provide results similar to those from mammals. G. mellonella larvae are now widely used in academia and industry and their use can assist in the identification and evaluation of novel antimicrobial agents. Galleria larvae are inexpensive to purchase and house, easy to inoculate, generate results within 24–48 h and their use is not restricted by legal or ethical considerations. This
review will highlight how Galleria larvae can be used to assess the efficacy of novel antimicrobial therapies (photodynamic therapy, phage therapy, metal-based drugs, triazole-amino acid hybrids) and for determining the in vivo toxicity of compounds (e.g., food preservatives, ionic liquids) and/or solvents (polysorbate 80). In addition, the disease development processes are associated with a
variety of pathogens (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Aspergillus fumigatus, Madurella
mycotomatis) in mammals are also present in Galleria larvae thus providing a simple in vivo model for characterising disease progression. The use of Galleria larvae offers many advantages and can lead to an acceleration in the development of novel antimicrobials and may be a prerequisite to mammalian testin
Comparative Structural and Compositional Analyses of Cow, Buffalo, Goat and Sheep Cream
No full textFactors affecting milk and milk fraction composition, such as cream, are poorly understood, with most research and human health application associated with cow cream. In this study, proteomic and lipidomic analyses were performed on cow, goat, sheep and Bubalus bubalis (from now on
referred to as buffalo), bulk milk cream samples. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to determine the composition, including protein, lipid and their glycoconjugates, and the structure of the milk fat globules. BLAST2GO was used to annotate functional indicators of cream protein. Functional annotation of protein highlighted a broad level of similarity between species. However,
investigation of specific biological process terms revealed distinct differences in antigen processing
and presentation, activation, and production of molecular mediators of the immune response. Lipid analyses revealed that saturated fatty acids were lowest in sheep cream and similar in the cream of the other species. Palmitic acid was highest in cow and lowest in sheep cream. Cow and sheep
milk fat globules were associated with thick patches of protein on the surface, while buffalo and goat milk fat globules were associated with larger areas of aggregated protein and significant surface adsorbed protein, respectively. This study highlights the differences between cow, goat, sheep, and buffalo milk cream, which can be used to support their potential application in functional foods such as infant milk formula
Common Era sea-level budgets along the U.S. Atlantic coast
No full textSea-level budgets account for the contributions of processes driving sea-level change, but are
predominantly focused on global-mean sea level and limited to the 20th and 21st centuries.
Here we estimate site-specific sea-level budgets along the U.S. Atlantic coast during the
Common Era (0–2000 CE) by separating relative sea-level (RSL) records into process-
related signals on different spatial scales. Regional-scale, temporally linear processes driven
by glacial isostatic adjustment dominate RSL change and exhibit a spatial gradient, with
fastest rates of rise in southern New Jersey (1.6 ± 0.02 mm yr−1). Regional and local,
temporally non-linear processes, such as ocean/atmosphere dynamics and groundwater
withdrawal, contributed between −0.3 and 0.4 mm yr−1 over centennial timescales. The
most significant change in the budgets is the increasing influence of the common global
signal due to ice melt and thermal expansion since 1800 CE, which became a dominant
contributor to RSL with a 20th century rate of 1.3 ± 0.1 mm yr−
On the Influence of Charging Stations Spatial Distribution on Aerial Wireless Networks
No full textUsing drones for cellular coverage enhancement is
a recent technology that has shown a great potential in various
practical scenarios. However, one of the main challenges that
limits the performance of drone-enabled wireless networks is the
limited flight time. In particular, due to the limited on-board
battery size, the drone needs to frequently interrupt its operation and fly back to a charging station to recharge/replace its
battery. In addition, the charging station might be responsible
to recharge multiple drones. Given that the charging station has
limited capacity, it can only serve a finite number of drones
simultaneously. Hence, in order to accurately capture the influence of the battery limitation on the performance, it is required
to analyze the dynamics of the time spent by the drones at the
charging stations. In this paper, we use tools from queuing theory and stochastic geometry to study the influence of each of
the charging stations limited capacity and spatial density on the
performance of a drone-enabled wireless network
Transmission of mushroom virus X and the impact of virus infection on the transcriptomes and proteomes of different strains of Agaricus bisporus
No full textCultivation of Agaricus bisporus is a large horticultural industry for many countries worldwide, where a single variety is almost grown exclusively. Mushroom virus X (MVX), a complex of multiple positive-sense single stranded RNA (ss(+)RNA) viruses, is a major pathogen of typical A. bisporus crops. MVX can manifest a variety of symptoms in crops and is highly infective and difficult to eradicate once established in host mycelium. Currently our knowledge regarding the molecular response of A. bisporus fruit bodies to MVX infection is limited. In order to study the response of different A. bisporus strains with different susceptibilities to MVX, we designed a model system to evaluate the in-vitro transmission of viruses in A. bisporus hyphae over a time-course, at two crucial phases in the crop cycle. The symptom expression of MVX in these varieties and the transcriptomic and proteomic response of fruit bodies to MVX-infection were examined. Transmission studies revealed the high potential of MVX to spread to uninfected mycelium yet not into the fruit bodies of certain strains in a crop. MVX affected colour and quality of multiple fruit bodies. Gene expression is significantly altered in all strains and between times of inoculation in the crop. Genes related to stress responses displayed differential expression. Proteomic responses revealed restriction of cellular signalling and vesicle transport in infected fruit bodies. This in-depth analysis examining many factors relevant to MVX infection in different A. bisporus strains, will provide key insights into host responses for this commercially important food crop
Common‐pool resource governance and uneven food security: Regional resilience during the Great Irish Famine, 1845–1852
No full textThis paper deals with two principal questions, drawingclosely on the experience of Ireland. First, it addresses adeficit in our knowledge of resource governance institutionsand land tenure systems as moderators of the impact offamine. We have known for some time of the extent ofcommon-pool resource systems in districts of 19th-centuryIreland and wider Europe, but their role in determininglevels of ecological risk exposure is less understood.Knowing that both food insecurity and common tenancywere higher in marginal Irish districts, this represents a gapin our understanding of the geographical impact of theGreat Irish Famine. Second, although current thinking oncommon-pool resource governance suggests that suchsystems were potentially robust to ecological stress, whydid this not translate into greater resilience in Ireland? Tomake sense of this contradiction, we must consider boththe local behaviour of ecological stressors and wider con-text of Irish colonialism. Using local clustering analysis andgeographically weighted regression, we see how the impactof key stressors varied geographically. These findingssuggest that analyses of the role of common-pool resourcegovernance in conferring ecological resilience must be tem-pered with a fuller appreciation of geopolitical context
Needs and Experiences of Children and Adolescents with Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Their Caregivers: A Systematic Review
No full textIn the present study we conduct a systematic review to evaluate the needs and experience
of people with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers. The literature search was
conducted across 10 academic databases, adhering to PRISMA-P guidelines. Quality appraisal was
conducted using the mixed method appraisal test for individual studies, and GRADE-CERQual
to establish overall confidence of findings. Results were analyzed using a process of narrative
synthesis. We identified 26 studies which included 2253 children/adolescents with MS (CAMS) and
1608 caregivers. MS was reported to negatively impact experiences for CAMS in domains such as of
school performance, social relationships, mental health, and overall physical functioning. Specifically,
fatigue and social support were reported as the most important barriers and facilitators for CAMS,
respectively. In terms of caregiver experience, negative impacts were reported on social functioning,
mental health, and quality of life. Additionally, lack of awareness concerning MS was one of the
biggest challenges reported. Caregivers expressed needs for psychological and social support. This
study provides the first evidence regarding the needs and experiences of CAMS and their caregivers.
Findings can be used to address policy gaps for supporting families affected by pediatric MS
Research interrupted: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on multiple sclerosis research in the field of rehabilitation and quality of life
No full textBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has likely had a negative impact on rehabilitation and quality of
life (QoL) research in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Method: We explored perceived barriers to research among 87 researchers, representing 18 countries,
both prior to and since COVID-19.
Results: A Wilcoxon signed-rank test found that significantly more researchers reported experiencing
barriers to research since the onset of the pandemic compared to pre-COVID-19 (p < .001), with 78% of
respondents reporting at least some barriers since COVID-19. The most commonly-cited barriers related
to participant access (n ¼ 38) and interruptions/delays to projects (n ¼ 19). Although no gender differences were found in the number of barriers reported, female respondents were more likely to cite time or
competing demands as barriers to research. Females were also more likely to perceive being negatively
impacted by the pandemic compared to other genders (p ¼ .007).
Conclusions: Implications for the future landscape of rehabilitation research in MS are discusse